Press Release: 20 May 2011

Countdown to the Olympics: is your business ready?

Our Razor team of risk and crisis experts are busy working with various clients to advise on the risks associated with the period before, during and after the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, taking place across London, and the country, next summer.

 

At a seminar held at our London office this week we invited City-based CEOs, risk managers, property managers and others with a vested interest to hear two senior Met Police officers outline the realities of what this will mean for our capital and for its commercial residents. The BBC’s Security correspondent, Frank Gardner, also summarised the threats from terrorist bodies and how the media are likely to deal with these. (See full details of the seminar on the attachment.)

 

In short, this is the largest public event ever to occur in London , with an unprecedented global media audience and a massive influx of people and risks across the City - far beyond the bounds of the Olympic Village.

 

Seminar participants were enthusiastic to learn about practical measures  they could and should take to prepare for risks ranging from traffic and commuter disruption to protests and terrorist threats. Boardroom responsibilities were also discussed.

 

Key messages of the session included:

-          The Police can’t do it all in terms of security – they rely on positive cooperation with business

-          Major landmarks and Olympic venues are not the only ones that may be targeted – smaller and less secure venues may also feel some impact, including City office buildings and retail units

-          Commuter disruption is very likely – businesses need to offer advice to employees on accessing London and remote working

-          Mobile and IT reception are likely to be affected or even to go down – a simple tip would be to make sure all employees have an international roaming facility

-          It’s not just the Olympics-related challenges that businesses need to anticipate and pre-empt – there will also be the Queen’s Jubilee and other major events and pressures in the capital, so security resources will be stretched and problems could attach to any aspect of London life

-          Business directors have commercial, legal and moral obligations, including a duty of care to their staff: risk assessment and planning should start now.

Download Programme_booklet.pdf »